Spiritual healers of Maasai

The Laiboni are the ritual and spiritual leaders of the Maasai society. They are known to have healing powers and are referred to by the Maasai elders when seeking spiritual guidance. 

Traditionally, the Maasai are monotheists and worship a God named Engai. It is believed that Laiboni are direct descendants of Engai.  

In olden times, the role of the Laiboni would be multiple- to officiate and direct ceremonies and sacrifices, to heal people of physical, mental or spiritual ailments, and to provide advice to elders on the spiritual aspects of community matters. 

Oloshi Kisaka Tayai is a 75-year-old Laiboni in the Losimingori village in Arusha, Tanzania. He learned the teachings from his father in 1985 and has been practicing ever since.

He mostly works as a healer. “If someone comes to me with an illness, I try my best to heal them”, he shared with us.

Using his traditional tools, he can also predict if someone is not able to get married or have children or is not able to get rich.

His tools, which he keeps separate, as they are sacred, are stones kept in a buffalo horn, a calabash with stones and medicines, and dried cow skin. He makes predictions by observing the stones.

He lays down stones in a bunch of eight on the cow skin. He then keeps a piece of cloth of the person who is sick. “When the piece of cloth belonging to the sick is kept on the skin, the stone can change colours which helps me determine the health issue they are facing.  Based on this, I then give the medicine to the person.”

“Once there was a man who was poisoned. They brought him to me. Using the stones, I was able to determine the sickness and give him medicine. After consuming it, he healed completely.”   

He has now passed on his knowledge to his elder son, who will succeed him as the Laiboni in the village. With the change of time, many villagers now practice Christianity and have stopped consulting the Laiboni in religious or spiritual matters. They are now seen through the lens of fear and apprehension.

Modern medicine and healing practices are also other factors in this change. This spiritual practice is slowly reducing with time. There are fewer people now who consult Oloshi Kisaka Tayai.